


Balance (like a tightrope walker)

by AcePhoenix



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Late Nights, Oneshot, Past Child Abuse, Studying, but maybe ill add more oneshots later, hurt/comfort sorta??, idk how to tag i havent posted anything in ages, in a lowkey way though, its really short, paul being a good stepdad, percy needs all the love and support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 04:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13356846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcePhoenix/pseuds/AcePhoenix
Summary: Percy's still getting used to having another man around the house. Paul just wants the poor, exhausted kid to be okay and will do anything he can to make that happen.





	Balance (like a tightrope walker)

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn’t really planning to write this, I’ve just been thinking a lot about Percy living and dealing with the effects of Gabe’s abuse (because that doesn't just go away), and how having Paul around, as different as he is from Gabe, would probably make him a little skittish for a while. And well, this basically wrote itself, and it doesn’t totally suck, so I figured I’d post it. Maybe I’ll write more oneshots about the subject, maybe I won’t. Enjoy (or don’t, you have that right)!
> 
> Title borrowed from the song Jailbirds by the Cold War Kids. I don’t claim to own this song nor these characters, I just love them a whole lot and want to share that with the world.

It was another late night. School finals were getting hellish, which meant the couch and table and floor were all littered with Percy’s homework and books, and Paul’s office was in a similar state. 

It was almost 2 am when Paul looked at the clock with a start and, draining the last sip of his lukewarm coffee, decided he should take a break from grading papers and go to bed- and make sure Percy did too.

He shuffled out to the living room, quiet so that he didn’t wake Sally as he passed their bedroom’s open door. 

Percy was currently perched on the arm of the couch (he tended to move around and sit in weird places when studying, unable to stay in one position for too long), seemingly very focused on deciphering something in one of his huge textbooks. 

He looked about how Paul felt- eyes barely open and underlined by dark circles, forehead wrinkled as he scowled in concentration. He was dressed in sweatpants a favorite Led Zeppelin tee, and an oversized school hoodie that he had actually stolen from Paul, all covered in crumbs and coffee stains. 

Paul looked at him for a second, smiling fondly. He stepped closer and put a hand on Percy’s shoulder.

“Percy-“ 

Before he could continue, Percy was off the couch and whipping around to face him, eyes wide and book held aloft in one hand while he held out his other as if to keep Paul from coming any closer. 

Paul held his hands out and tried to look as unthreatening as possible. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.”

Percy lowered his hands slowly, eyes wide and muscles tense. 

“You just- scared me, man.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s stupid, I-“

“No!” Paul interrupted. “It’s not stupid. I really should- I should’ve thought.” 

Percy ran a (trembling?) hand over his face and through his messy hair, making it look even more wild than normal. He wouldn’t look straight at Paul. 

“Percy.” Paul said gently. 

“I’m just tired. School.” Percy muttered. And he did sound tired, so tired, but Paul knew there was more. And he wasn’t going to make Percy tell him. 

But god, did he wish he could take that heaviness away from the kid’s shoulders. 

“Hey, Son. I’m here for you, you know? I’m not trying to be a replacement Dad or anything, but I do care. And I’m never going to do anything to hurt you on purpose.”

Percy nodded. 

“Maybe you should take a break from studying. You look exhausted.” 

Percy nodded again, slowly, suddenly too tired to argue, to even speak. He looked Paul in the eyes, finally, and Paul understood. 

Paul smiled a little even though he wanted to cry at the way Percy was looking at him. 

And then Percy shocked both of them by stepping forward and putting his arms around Paul. It was slow, cautious. But when Paul even more slowly, tentatively raised his arms to wrap them around the boy’s shoulders, Percy let him. He didn’t quite relax into the hug, not fully. There was still some tension in his shoulders. But it was a start.


End file.
